Feb. 22, 2011--The National
Popular Vote campaign, which is working to bring about an agreement
among the states to elect the President by national popular vote,
announced a boost to its efforts today with the addition of Tom
Golisano, founder and chairman of Paychex, as national spokesman.

The campaign launched in February 2006, and since then six states and
the District of Columbia with a total of 74 electoral votes have passed
National Popular Vote legislation. When states
totaling 270 electoral votes—the number needed to elect the
President—have passed the measure the agreement or compact will take
effect; at that point those states will shift from distributing their
electoral votes by the winner-take-all system used by all but two
states to awarding them to the national popular vote winner.

Typically in the general election, presidential campaigns focus on
closely contested "battleground states" while ignoring other states
because they are "safe Republican or "safe Democratic." According
to National Popular Vote in the 2008 campaign, "two-thirds of campaign
events (206 of 300) were in just 6 states." National Popular Vote
aims to change that and make "every vote equal."

This change will not be achieved in time for the 2012 presidential
election, but there is a real possibility that it could be in effect
for the 2016 or 2020 election. Maryland became the first
state to enact the legislation in April 2007. Dr. John Koza,
chairman of
National Popular Vote said, "Getting the first state
was the break we needed." A total of 31 legislative chambers have
passed the legislation, and over 2,000 state legislators have
endorsed National Popular Vote. Asked about opposition to the
idea, Koza points to 91 myths about the current convoluted
process. "You just have to keep plugging
away," Koza said. Golisano stated, "Right now I think
America needs a victory. This would be a great victory."

Golisano and Koza are planning a multi-state tour to advance the idea.